Back in the early years of the 20th century, it would have been many a child's wish to find a big, shiny, red firetruck under the Christmas tree.

Such a toy firetruck from the 1920s or 1930s would command a hefty price in an antiques market nowadays – but White Rock's firefighters don't have any need to add one to their letter to Santa.

That's because they have the genuine article – one of White Rock's first two firetrucks, adapted from a 1925 Studebaker sedan chassis, and lovingly restored, more than a decade ago, to the way it would have looked while in service in the early 1930s.

Somehow, despite a complicated history of multiple ownership, fate has always seemed to guide the truck back to White Rock. It's as though it has always belonged in the city.

There's only one challenge, however – the firefighters, members of the White Rock Fire Fighters Union, Local 2407, have nowhere at the firehouse to display it.

Right now the venerable veteran – while in surprisingly good condition – is languishing at the city's parks maintenance yard in Centennial Park, where it has been stored for the past seven years.

And if there is one wish for the vintage vehicle this Christmas, it's to see a new permanent home for it at the White Rock Fire Hall on Pacific Avenue.

City engineering and operations manager Jim Gordon said the plan would be to construct a new environmentally controlled glass enclosure for the firetruck on the south side of the White Rock Fire Hall property. Ideally, it would give the historical vehicle the prominence it deserves, while keeping all four fire vehicle bays open, he said.

That wish was last voiced in 2021 by Local 2407 president Andrew Cram, and member Scott Booth, who was one of those who dedicated hours to restoring the truck.

It has since been dusted off by Mayor Megan Knight, who moved at the Sept. 23 council meeting that "staff ... proceed with the detailed design of the antique fire truck viewing structure and prepare a corporate report for council’s approval, (including) an updated budget and authorization to issue a Request for Proposals via BC Bid."

"The antique firetruck is a key piece of our city's history, symbolizing the bravery and dedication of past firefighters," she said, introducing her motion, which was passed unanimously by council.

"It deserves a proper place where it can be displayed and appreciated. I know it was discussed previously by the council in 2021, but no action was taken. I know we have money in reserves and we can use CACs (community amenity contributions from developers).

"I just think we need to preserve our historical (and) cultural legacy and our heritage conservation in our community."

Knight told Peace Arch News she became aware of the earlier discussion about the firetruck when she was looking back at council staff reports created in 2021.

"I asked 'what are we doing with this?'" she said.

"I'm looking forward to what staff can bring forward in a report," she added, although she noted that – as with everything else in the city – rising costs are a factor.

At last estimate, creating an enclosed extension to the firehall was priced by staff at $350,000.

"Everything seems to have doubled in price, since then, so I think the sooner we can do this the better. It would be preserving an important part of White Rock's history."

Knight also agreed that there could be scope for community organizations and individuals to donate towards a new structure for the truck – as another place-making initiative in the city.

"Some of the local Rotary clubs had expressed interest in fundraising for this," she said.

"Next year the truck is going to be 100 years old, so there could be an opportunity for some sort of anniversary celebration," she noted.

Gordon recently gave Peace Arch News access to photograph the truck at the parks maintenance yard.

He explaining that the truck used to be housed at the White Rock firehouse, until the acquisition of new firefighting equipment and vehicles displaced it in 2017.

He said that while the truck is in good condition, considering it is being housed in a storage space continually in use for parks supplies and equipment ("The Parks crew like to keep things pretty neat," he said), the situation is far from optimal and concerns about potential deterioration of the truck through atmospheric dampness are valid.

"It really needs a place of its own where it can be on permanent display," he said.

The truck reflects a period in White Rock history when the community – then still part of the municipality of ÐÔÊӽ紫ý – organized a committee, in November of 1933, to recruit a Volunteer Fire Brigade.

According to Lorraine Ellenwood's authoritative history of the early years of White Rock, Years of Promise, during the pioneer era, up to around 1917, most of the fires in the area were attributable to logging operations, and firefighting was in the hands of provincial and federal fire rangers. 

But for more than a decade following that, aside from ad-hoc resident efforts fighting smaller fires, White Rock had largely been dependent on the Blaine, Wash., fire department – which would arrive on the scene unbidden whenever a major fire was noticed on the Canadian side of the border.

That was the case in late January of 1927, when a fire ravaged commercial buildings across from the Great Northern Railway depot on Washington Avenue (now Marine Drive).

In March of 1928, the depot itself caught fire, apparently as a result of faulty electrical wiring, and store owner W.R. Barge supplied the buckets for a hastily organized bucket line to the sea which succeeded in extinguishing the flames.

In January of 1930, the Blaine fire department again came to the rescue when a fire that started in the Central Hotel near the pier swept through the West Beach commercial area, destroying Barge's General Store and many other businesses.

But firefighting efforts were severely hampered by an ebb tide and frozen water mains, and thousands of gallons of water had to be hauled from Blaine in the tenders of several locomotives to ensure the railway depot, at least, was saved.

In September of the following year, fire claimed the popular Blue Moon Dance Pavilion and a residential building behind it, while more Washington Avenue businesses, including Charlie's Dine and Dance, were destroyed by fire in March of 1932.

The final straw for local movers and shakers seems to have been reached in November of 1933 when a fire in the East Beach area caused costly damage to a three-storey commercial building and a confectionery next door. It was clear that only intervention by both the Blaine and Langley fire departments had saved surrounding businesses.

A hastily-convened committee began organizing the city's first fire brigade, with W.J. McIlwain appointed first deputy and first driver, while former New Westminster fire chief J.H. Watson became assistant fire marshal in April of 1934.

According to historical material supplied to PAN by current city Fire Chief Ed Wolfe, the 1925 Studebaker was actually one of two sister vehicles purchased by the committee. 

Under the supervision of Mcllwain (who was also the owner of a gas station on Washington Avenue), the two surplus chassis were converted to fire trucks with parts donated from both the Vancouver and New Westminster fire departments.

"Mr. Mcllwain became the first unofficial Fire Chief in the community, and his gas station on Marine Drive became the makeshift fire hall," Wolfe said.

The fate of one truck is unknown, he said – although given the cash-strapped Depression era, it seems likely it was either sold or ultimately became inoperable and was cannibalized for parts.

First big test of the truck and the new brigade came in August of 1935 with a fire that broke out in the Canadian Legion hall and store at the pier, and while the Legion building perished, combined efforts by the new White Rock Fire Brigade and the Blaine firefighters prevented the spectacular blaze from spreading any further.

When McIlwain left the community for the interior in 1937, it appears that volunteer driver Jack Kelman took over his gas station and responsibilities for looking after the truck.

After a succession of temporary fire chiefs and some hard times for the volunteer brigade, Kelman became the fire chief in 1941, and his Kelman's Service Shell Station, first at Washington Avenue and Oxford Street, and subsequently at Washington and Vidal, became the home of the truck, until a site next to the garage became White Rock's first official fire hall in 1943.

A newer and larger fire truck was acquired from Alberta at the end of the Second World War and the Studebaker, after long and distinguished service, was officially decommissioned in 1948.

It had a chequered history after that, according to Wolfe's account, but always seemed destined to come back to White Rock one way or another.

After spending many years as a vintage promotional vehicle for Murchie's Tea Company in Vancouver, it was eventually reacquired by the White Rock Firefighters in the late seventies, and it was back in running condition in time for the Sea Festival parade in 1980.

But, sadly, a subsequent lack of interest – and shortage of storage space – led to the firefighters giving the truck away in the 1990s.

Wolfe said the new owner parked the vehicle for more than a decade, before deciding to donate it to the Shriners of BC and Yukon in 2005.

Fate intervened once again, when, in 2008, Local 2407 was contacted by a Shriners member informing them they had the truck and were in the process of restoring it.

According to Wolfe, "the Shriners did not have the funds to complete the project and wondered if the union would be interested in a partnership. The union agreed and funded the remainder of the restoration."

Several White Rock firefighters took on significant roles volunteering their time and expertise to complete the restoration work. 

On September 26, 2010 the truck was donated back to the Local 2407 by the Shriners Association at a ceremony held at the Gizeh Shrine Centre in Burnaby.

Initially displayed at White Rock Museum and Archives on Marine Drive, the truck was subsequently stored in the bays at the White Rock Fire Hall for several years, until new fire apparatus required that space.

In their 2021 presentation to council, Cram and Booth said the proposed enclosure would be similar to one at the Langley City fire hall that houses that city’s own vintage fire truck, and a vintage fire truck display at Port Moody’s Inlet Centre Fire Hall.

Booth explained that the intention would be to "decommission" the truck from running condition – by removing all fluids so that it could stay in good condition while remaining on static display.

He said, however, that it would be nice if the enclosure had a roll-up door and the truck was movable so that it could appear at outside events such as the firefighters’ annual pancake breakfast. No alterations would be made to the truck or motor, so that it could easily be returned to running condition if that were needed in the future.

Display boards previously used at the museum – outlining both the history of the truck and firefighting in White Rock in general – would also be used in the proposed enclosure, Booth said.